Bikes along the Road...

This one I spotted when we pulled into the Wildflower Bread Company cafe in Sedona the other day.

I've only ever seen these Boss Hoss bikes in photographs. Never on the road. They've always made me wonder how they handled.

Think about it for a second... A V-Twin... and most all motorcycle motors... the rotaion of the engine is pretty much inline with the bike...

This Chevy V8 is spinnin' cross ways...

Years ago I'd built a hot rod chevy pickup. The 350 V8 motor in that thing was close to 400 HP. If I blipped the throttle on that truck, the whole rig rocked. SO... I always thought with these Boss Hoss motorcycles... blip the throttle and the scooter's likely to throw itself on the ground! :)

As luck would have it, I managed to find us a table right beside the guy... who appeared to be about my age an' not much bigger... who was ridin' this Beast of a Motorcycle.

He told me that he'd had an old BMW bike with that opposed motor that torqued the bike more than this big American Iron brute. The fella swore it wasn't much and he didn't even notice it...

Whatever, the bike is an Awesome machine... it's pretty intimidating to look at... I thought my 113 cubic inch Raider was a big bike... not so much... 350+- Chevy cubes kinda takes that prize don't it! :)

Only thing I can say is... at 1200#'s or so, 350ci +- and 445hp!!!... The Boss Hoss is juuuuuuust a bit more bike than I wanna Horse around! :)

Grab Your Handles and Ride
Brian

Comfort and Motorcycles

Completed the refit of the Raider yesterday. The Tsukayu Hard Bags are on along with the Hard Chrome pipes.

*Yamaha Raider with the Hard Chrome pipes and Tsukayu Saddle Bags*

I also shaved the plastic sub fender under the tail light; relocating the license plate and shaving the turn signal lollipops since the new bags have built in turn signal lights.

In the process I've seen quite a few conversations on forums and had 'em in person where the subject of "comfort" always seems to enter the dialog.

I think ~ pure comfort ~ has somehow seized too big a place in peoples thinking. Especially when it comes to motorcycles.

The refit I did was not for comfort but for function and convenience. The Raider has always been sufficiently comfortable.

But... what is comfort? Do you climb a mountain to be comfortable? Is Riding a horse comfortable? Is golfing comfortable?

I mean... sure you don't want ill fitting shoes to go hikng in. You don't want jeans so tight they put your feet to sleep. You don't want to wear a heavy down coat when it's 95 degrees. But, it seems the FIRST thing that enters peoples mind when they start doing ANYTHING is Comfort!!!

Not the experience of LIVING... but... doing it without risking being ~ GASP! ~ the least bit un-comfortable.

I've heard people say; "That bike is too uncomfortable for me"; yet when asked, they've NEVER even ridden the bike they're criticising! ... Huh? ...

I've heard people say; "It was raining... it's too uncomfortable to ride in the rain... it's too hot... it's too cold... it's this or it's that"... and on and on and on...

The thing that has come home to me is that "society" has devolved to where anything that is a risk... any risk at all is WRONG... anything that is less comfortable than a flotation topped mattress... is WRONG. Anything that provides SENSATION of the world around you is WRONG.

Anything that provides a tactile sensation of actually being alive is "Un-Comfortable" ... Oh Boo Freakin' Hoo!

If COMFORT is your controlling motivation, which must be satisfied BEFORE all else... what the hell are you doing on a Motorcycle? Get yourself a chauffeur and one of those limousines with climate control and a hot tub... I'll bet you can even hire a waitress to serve you as you ride around... we don't want to see you get strained by having to pour your own seltezer water... and make sure you keep the windows rolled up... Don't suffer the discomfort of Wind in your face!!!

I guess a "Good" Motorcycle is supposed to roll you through the west with No wind, No rain, No heat, No cold, No traffic, No fuel stops, No dust, No skeeters... No No No No No No...

No Freakin' Sensation of Life!

Geeze... You might as well just lay in one of those sensory deprivation tanks and just look at post cards with a triple insulated flashlight... held by someone else of course... We don't want your hand to be subjected to the discomfort of having to hold up a heavy, lumpy flashlight.

Yeah... a postcard with a PICTURE of a Motorcycle being ridden in the wind and rain... and you can read the lil' blurb on the back that TELLS you what it feels like.

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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My Raider Refit has Begun!

I got the first step of refitting my Yamaha Raider for Motorcycle Touring done Friday afternoon.

After riding the bike for a couple of years with the leather Osprey saddlebags I decided that I needed to rework the setup.

The bags have served well, but as it turns out, the conditions I live in now are not made for the endurance of leather saddlebags. I just can't keep ahead of the abuse the weather puts on the leather bags that are exposed to the elements 100% of the time.

But, to change to the fiberglass hard bags I'm going to install, it required the replacement of the existing, factory exhaust pipes.

*Yamaha Raider with Factory Pipes*

 That dogleg in the pipes rises up so high it's pretty hard to squeeze in any sort of a hard bag with the size I want to go to.

That's the other thing working here. I wanted to enlarge the bags a bit to improve their capacity for Motorcycle Touring on my Yamaha sled.

I chewed on this for a long time... flopping back and forth from one style to another... and finally settled on the 3" Big Straights from Hard Chrome in the Black version.

*Yamaha Raider with 3" Big Straights by Hard Chrome*

Geeze... You'd think a guy taking a portrait of his most favorite motorcycle of all time would remember to pull the protective masking tape off the frame first! :)

But look at the difference in space twixt the pipes and the bags... I'm impatiently waiting now for my new Tsukayu Coner saddlebags to arrive!

That and the noise... I'm not real BIG on Loud Pipes... I was nervous about these being too noisy... So far? I'm happy. They've got a deep burbling rumble to 'em without that ear cracking edge. If you stay off the throttle in the "neighborhood" and keep your rpm down the neighbors have nothing to complain about.

On the Highway, where before I couldn't even hear the motor over the wind... I now have that nice, deep rumble that always tickles the giggles of a "Motorhead"... OK... so I'm a partial motorhead. So far it's a real pleasing note... needs be, I can swap the baffles for a "quieter" variety... but with the pipes being the long style, I think they'll ride just as they are.

I was a lil' anxious about going in the Blacked out "direction" but, already, I'm liking the more subdued style of 'em. Since I live in the "you can polish 'em or you can ride 'em" school of thought ... and sit solidly on the Ride 'em side ;) I think the black is gonna do better in that situation than chrome!

Riding the bike back to the rig from my kids place in Denver... I rolled up I-25. One of the first things I noticed was there seemed to be a bit more vibration. The second was that my fuel mileage kinda went to hell!

Geeze! And I thought it would improve a bit...

Then... I looked down at the speedo... Hmmm...

Ya think that maybe all those extra numbers I found when I looked at the speedometer might have something to do with more vibration and poorer fuel economy? :))

Took a roll up Poudre Canyon yesterday... at my more "normal" cruising speed and that idea seems to have been borne out... Mileage seems to be back in the 48-52 mpg range that I normally run. Guess I'll have to guard against the Thunder Induced Velocity!

Now that I "played" for a couple of days...

It's back to work for me now.
Brian

Along the Million Dollar San Juan Skyway

We're camped at 8500 feet or so in the San Juan National forest, NE of Mancos, Colorado. Fired up the Raider yesterday morning to have her carry us two up to Silverton and Ouray.

Rolling east we dropped down into Durango at 6500 feet and then started the climb to Coal bank at 10,640 feet High in the Rockies!

Then you drop back down a ways before you make another climb...

This time you top out on Molas Divide just a sliver under 11,000 feet high.

The Snow ain't all gone yet... and the Aspen are just starting to leaf out... But it's no less a beautiful ride.

After making the Molas climb you drop into Silverton... where you can take on groceries if you're needful... and then continuing North you make another climb up over Red Mountain pass... This time you break through 11,000 feet to 11,018!

and then almost immediately drop into Ouray.

We met some good friends who live there... and fed us a fine lunch before we climbed back on the Raider and made the trip in reverse, rather than the long way 'round through Ridgeway, Telluride and Dolores...

 The skies going up were blue as they could be... but weather started coming in as we ate... and we made the return trip under cloudy cover.

Got back into Durango to find, when I refueled, that that Yamaha Raider carried two of us up over those passes and back again; starting from 6500 feet, climbing up to 11,000, back down a ways and back up... six times! over 189 miles, and tallied up 46.5 miles per gallon doin' it! ... and just for sayin' it... she's in pretty strong need of a tuneup too! ;)

She is an Awesome Machine!

So awesome... it looks like a friend of mine might be talkin' me into a Second run to Alaska on her in 2013!

Life is good when you live it on two wheels

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Getting the Rust Knocked off by a Ural Hack

A bit over a week ago we were camped in the Utah, Goosenecks State Park...

*RV's Top Right... Boats on the San Juan River... Bottom left*

It was hot, pushing 90 and we were getting ready to move to higher ground.

A couple rolled in riding a Ural Hack. The he side of the pair has kept a pretty detailed Ride report of their comings and goings on the ADV ride forum... that lil' link above...

They'd flown out of Upstate New York to land in Seattle to pick up their new Ride. They already had 3,000 miles on the odometer of their new sidecar rig on the ride home.

They rode out the next morning bound for new roads and the sweet wind of Freedom on a Ribbon of Asphalt.

Made me stop and look at what I've been doing for two years now... and I came to the conclusion that I've been slipping. I got careful... and I got lazy.

You know what careful breeds? ... Complacency... and a whole hell of a lot fewer stories to tell when old age conquers your kiester and you're relegated to sitting on the porch zingin' the neighborhood kids with your wrist rocket as they ride their damned bicycles across your front grass!

So... the upstart is...that though I've ridden my Raider all over the west in the past two years... I've been doing that riding too... careful... too... comfortable... and too... Little.

Watching those folks ride off... with nothing but their bike, their camp gear and the Open Road in front of them made me stop and think... 

It's time to shake things up a lil' bit... this summer... though I might get a slow start at it... I'm working to do just that... Get back to pushing the envelope a bit.. and splitting the wind a lot!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

P.S. I checked last night and the mileage he's wracked up since I saw him ten days or so ago in Utah had climbed up well over 6,000... and included trips over the Moki Dugway... and down The Tail of the Dragon a couple of thousand miles east! just stirs something in a Biker... Don't it?

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The Alaskan Ride... So Many Miles... and so Damn Quick!

25 Days... 8678 miles, a pair of new tires, six states, two Canadian Provinces and one Canadian Territory. Six motels, three nights as a guest along the way, and 16 tent camps... lost count of the cans of Dinty Moore stew, Campbells chunky soup ... and really poor Instant coffee!

Along the way was something close to 3000 miles of rain! :o) through the most beautiful and intimidating land on this continent. The weather talked me out of traveling to some of the places I'd planned... and hiking alone in the rain lost its' shine for me before I got to the trailheads :o) ... all that means is I've got plenty to go back to.

That Big Red Yamaha Raider ran like a top... not a burp... for all those miles, though Star Motorcycles rates their Raiders at 42 MPG... this particular Motorcycle turned out just above and just below 50 MPG (turning out 56 a time or two!)... over those many miles... the only time it dropped down to 43 MPG... still above its' rating... I was climbing over the combination of Lolo and then Chief Joseph passes... going from Idaho to Montana.

Now, putting a big two wheeler on that road, on a sunny morning, is guaranteed to drop a gear or two, and twist the throttle a mite tighter... which curiously, consumes more fuel! :o)

But... unfortunately, you've heard it said; "All good things must come to an end"... so... after passing through Yellowstone...

... and leaving The Tetons behind me...

I rolled that Bike on across Wyoming, where there's no shortage of beautiful visions for an old cowboy either... Found these beauties a ways south of Lander... I wondered if they were wild or just damn lucky ranch horses... no matter really...

With the final leg of my run down Poudre Canyon, and a 438 mile day, I made it home last night...

The next couple of days are gonna be a bit of a scramble, with much to do and get caught up on... but like I said, I've got some "Summary" articles I'll be building in the next week or so... so, stay tuned!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Freedom on the Banks of the Clearwater River up on Idaho

Had to ride through too many miles of HOT! Yesterday... to escape that stuff! :o) I didn't remember Lewiston as being that warm... but children let me tell you... When you've got yourself accustomed to cold and wet... Hot and Dry... kinda shocks your system! :o)

That and when you've just come out of the Solitude of the Great Northern Wilderness... into the chaos of Seattle, Tacoma... and such... you do just one thing... Twist that throttle and Ride! :o)

I found some more solitude, camped on the Banks of the Clearwater River east of Lewiston a lil' ways. Sitting here at the table in a BLM campground... sippin' hot coffee, listening to Bob Seeger on my Ipod and tap tap tappin' on the keyboard...

 The country hereabouts... is some different than just a few miles west... on the same river...

Here, the pines are tall, the sound of the river, just below my camp is sweet... the breeze is cool... and life is fine!

This trip is winding down... and growing sweeter each day... the true value of FREEDOM is ever clearer... and the precious cost of it.

For those of you heading west...this year or next... Central Idaho is a fine ride! Just about any of the two lane between Couer d'Alene and Lewiston are twisty sweet rides through glorious country. Forest Svc. and BLM camps are plentiful... motels are to be had for those more wary of being converted to bear crap! :o) ... and I'll tell you what...

Sitting here at my BLM table... in the morning sunshine... Brothers and Sisters?... It DON'T get any better!

Today I'm planning on riding over Lolo Pass and working my way back toward West Yellowstone... that I passed through nigh on to three weeks and nearly 8,000 miles ago...

For anyone wondering... my Yamaha Raider has proven to be a Sweet Ride on this Long Tour... I've averaged between 45 and over 50 miles per gallon... How Awesome is that? for a 113 cubic inch Hot Rod of a Motorcycle?!!! :o)

There are few changes I want to make to bike and outfit... illuminated by this ride... (I'll talk 'bout that in future posts/pages on the site) but all in all... for me... This Naked Raider has proven to be THE Motorcycle Touring machine for me for the foreseeable future! HooYa!

Bottom line? I've achieved most of what I wished for this ride to do. It's cleared my head a lot and I've managed to sort out some priorities a bit... and That, is what I find straddling a two wheeled sweetheart for a few weeks will do for you! :o)

So kids?...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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From Fine Old Vintage Motorcycles to New Tires in the Alaskan North

Was just climbing on the Raider in Tok, AK, to make the ride down the Glenn Highway to Anchorage to get my new tires... and this Ol' Indian scooter rolled in.

This Ol' Motorcycle rolled out of the assembly plant in... 1936! ... and it just rolled up the Alaskan Highway... from California!  Outside of a "Little hard starting"... its' rider claimed no difficulty along the road... How's that for a Touring Motorcycle? Awesome!

He noticed and admired my fuel bottles, and how I'm carryin' 'em. You can see his plastic fuel can strapped kinda rough, on the tail of his bike.

I've got four MSR fuel bottles from REI. They give me just a sliver over an extra gallon of fuel... for those times a fella might Miscalculate where he's at... and how far it is to the next place Fuel is at!...

... so far... I've only needed a part of these bottles, once... oops! I carry 'em in the outside pockets of my ruck, that sits strapped to the tail rack.

That back tire is just starting to get thin... but this pic was taken down near Dawson Creek... and though it's still not in Bad shape... it's unlikely the front tire would go back down the Alcan... and it's just not worth it to me... to risk a thin tire on either end... when you're a hundred miles from the beginning of nowhere! :o)

I got here too late today to get the new rubber... so I'll be sitting there come 9 tomorrow morning when they open the doors...

Had an awful pretty ride down this morning...

There's a couple of things I'm finding on this trip... one is an old thing with a lot of people... the uncomfortable feeling you get... when you get back into some of these Shining Mountains... and you don't have cell... or Internet service... arrrrgggghhh! You get this lil' twinge of panic...

Like the damn sky is gonna cave in if you can't Check on things...

It's a double edged sword for me... first... it's how I'm carving out a significant part of my living... so I have to give that part proper respect... I have to write and post my scribblings... it's what I'm doin' for my beans these days... but... if a guy ain't careful... he can get so hung up on those electronic distractions... he loses sight of what he's here about in the first place! 

So... I find myself having to be real deliberate. Consciously doing my writing in its' proper time and place... and giving what I'm here for... its' proper, dedicated time... a lesson I've got to keep reminding myself of...

The second thing is the country itself... Kind of like the Big Sky country of Montana... only on steroids.

Everything here... somehow seems, bigger. It's an idea that's been growing for a few days... and it hit me as I rolled past that glacier today.

The mountains, the rivers... even the more open flat country all just resonate this sensation of being heavier, more massive... the distances seem to magnify everything... I thought of the same sort of view... down home in Arizona... running along through some mountain valley... and then how it looks here...

Alaska is like Arizona or any other part of the Lower 48... only 3X :o)

If being made to feel for sure and for certain, truly insignificant, is something you can't deal very well with... it'd be best to pick a different location for a long trip... it's common to hear locals comment that; "Your NOT the top of the food chain up here!" :o)

It goes back one more time to what Lloyd says... Life is a Matter of balance... just wish I wasn't so damned un-balanced!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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I'll tell you... I won't say I don't give a thought to it... layin' in my tent at night... but I sleep well, knowing I've picked my camp carefully... With plenty of Other very Large, tasty travellers... surrounding my site! :o) ... to distract any errant Yogis that might could wander through of an evening.

First "Test" Tour on the Raider

Heidi and I just finished a 2+ day, 500 mile test "scoot" on the Raider... and for me... that Star Motorcycle has proven its mettle as a good base for a Touring Motorcycle... and soon to be... with a few more accessories and bits... my Best Touring Motorcycle...

We rode like we like to travel... Let them Iron Butt fellas see how much they can endure... we prefer to go a couple hundred miles a day... stoppin' along the way to smell the roses a bit...

Climbed over Cameron Pass, Rabbit Ears Pass, the grade up to the Eisenhower tunnel, and Vail Pass... Rode through the cold and snow on top... and the warm down in the Valleys... hitting too many digits on the speedometer, on Rabbit Ears pass to really "Please" herself... :o) ... and still the fuel Mileage exceeded what Yamaha/Star rates it at... (which I'm assuming is figured on a solo rider)

Both seats... the factory drivers seat... and the Bitchn Stitchn custom passenger seat... proved comfortable for miles and hours, in the saddle.

I was wonderin' how the posture I sit in would "wear"... after riding hours, Splittin' the Wind... and I gotta say... No Complaints... My arms, shoulders back and butt... were just fine... NO... Complaints! ... Sweet! ... so... I'm thinkin' my plans to change out the handle bars for a bit more pullback... are on the back burner... I have an appointment at Bitchn Stitchn to recover the front seat... and add a gel pad...

I'll wait to see how that all rides... before I do anything else with handlebars or such.

The only Black Cloud on the whole trip was a lil' didoe... just north of Walcott. We'd pulled into an "overlook" to watch some people doin' Zip Line traverses... across a lil' canyon... the ground in that overlook was all rough, humped up and badly uneven...

Not sure what exactly happened... but the end result was... my foot slipped and that top heavy Red Beauty... leaned over pretty hard, comin' down on the left drivers peg...

Took me 'bout 10 miles to figure out that it was busted... It got pretty clear... when the sucker fell off! :o)

So... pulling out that fancy Droid "Smartphone" I'm carryin' now... I located a Yamaha Dealer back 50 miles or so, up the Interstate... that offered to sell me a foot peg off a brand new Raider, sitting on their showroom floor.

I suppose for a kid... riding 50 miles or better, with your left foot hangin'... would be no big deal... and it wasnt' for me either... till long about 40 miles... I gotta tell you... that sucker started gettin' heavy! Tryin' to keep it off the pavement, got to be work! :o)

But... the guys at Silverthorne Power Sports took good care of me... Let me buy that peg off their New Bike... and then discounted a shirt 40% to boot! :o) Awesome... So... if you're ever in the Silverthorne area... on a Yamaha... and need some help... give 'em a ring... they might be able to keep you rolling too!

What I did learn from the trip was... My Raider is going to serve me just as superbly as I thought it would... for Motorcycle Touring the way I want to roll... Especially, once I get the Custom Saddle Bag mounts for it completed... and get the Saddle Bags Mounted!...

I'll also be shopping around for a small... to medium sized tail pack... to sit on that tail rack I added a couple weeks ago...

... 'cause... I'm workin' hard at tryin' to get her set up... for a mid summer run (end of July) to... ALASKA!

Suh-Wheet! :o)

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Passenger Pillion Under Construction at Bitchn Stitchn

The guys at Bitchn Stitchn know their craft... I was impressed. With their help, my start at reworking my new Raider, to be my newest, "Best Touring Motorcycle" is gonna have a Shining beginning!

Heidi has let me know, that although the drivers seat of a Raider is suitably comfortable, the passenger pillion leaves something to be desired. Just like most bikes of it's kind... they just don't put much effort into a passenger seat... After maybe 30 miles or so, that lil' pad gets to holding your attention... and pokin' your butt... or so I'm told! :o) ... so...

I rode into Bitchn Stitchn, just before 9 in the morning so Dan and Brian could set to work strippin' that less than sit worthy, factory pillion.

Brian did most of the skinning, while Dan and I sorted out what it was I was looking to achieve...

They had much of the 'new' base foam put into place by the time Heidi arrived to start the 'fitting' process... and right about then is when oops #2 really took hold...

Bitchin' Stitchin' has their own Backrest system... only... it really wouldn't work, but poorly, with the Raiders seat pan... I'd figured to use their Backrest... and we really needed the rest to know where the seat had to... or could, go... so, a quick phonecall and a Yamaha Backrest, designed just for the Raider was located, in stock, at Coyote Motorsports, up the road a ways...

That was a few hundred bucks I'd not planned on... but... I wanted this done right so I coughed it up!

Uh... oops #2? What was number #1?... Uh... the night before, I flushed the dust off the bike at a car wash... but... they can't work on a seat all full of water! ... so... OOPS! :o) luckily... it wasn't saturated... just had a bit of water that had got into one corner of the foam, that Brian was able to blow dry out in short order... so... if you're heading to get a seat worked on... Keep it Dry! :o)

Took a bit over an hour to collect the Yamaha Backrest, grab some chow at Mickey D's... and run on back to the motorcycle seat shop...  to get it bolted in place...

... and guess what?

The new foam fit like it was designed for that Yamaha Raider Backrest... Their experience was showing! Suh-Wheet! :o)

Dan, Heidi and I spent another bit of time, while Brian was cutting in the gel pad, and installing the final wrap of foam... hashing out how and what the cover would look like... and actually decided to redo part of the Backrest Pad too... so it ties right in to the rest of the bike...

... 'course the total plan includes recovering the drivers seat as well... but I can't do that until I replace the factory handlebars...

When I sit, all the way back in the seat, and sit how I want to sit... the factory grips are too far forward... forcing me to lean, a bit too much... the cure, for me, is to find a proper set of Pull Back bars... to position my hands where I want 'em... Letting me sit in the easy posture I want...

The factory bars are more of a drag bar type I guess... I'm lookin' at a variety of bagger, beach or dresser style bars... just have to make a decision which ones seem to fit the best.

Keep watching... there will be a full article on the site... with more pictures... as soon as I get it all put together...

Then? On to the Saddlebags! :o) This is gonna take some careful calculating as well... I'm apparently one of the few who actually like... and prefer the stock pipes on my Raider. The only problem I'm having is that those pipes run pretty high, taking up space where bags need to sit. Sooooo... I'm going to have to get a mite creative and squeeze bags of proper shape and function... into the space I have...

It's a sweet ride, setting up a bike to fit just you...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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Yamaha Raider Fuel Economy - Is Still Better Than I expected

Been Riding that Raider for a few weeks now... thousand or so miles on it... At least what I put on! ;o) ...

I'd been expecting my fuel consumption, from everything I'd read and heard 'bout the cruiser, to be down in the mid to high 30's... the first tank calculated out at 47 mpg... and they are all just staying right up there.

So far, the fuel consumption has only gone below 40 once. That was on a two up ride, against a good headwind, up to Cheyenne for late breakfast/early lunch that worked out to a bit over 37 mpg... My last fueling was 44 mpg... and I cheated a bit on stuffing fuel in :-) trying to keep it honest... so the actual was a mite higher.

Now, don't think I'm puttin' 'round at 35 miles an hour neither, working to squeeze out some miles. I'm fairly certain that's almost impossible on any Raider... I just don't know anyone that has that much self control! :o) ... and yesterday...  I was a baaaaad cowboy...

Rolled out of the south side of a lil' town south of here, on my way to my 'day' job... twisted the throttle back up to the 65 mph road speed between towns... and then couldn't quit twisting... Uh... I was juuuuuuust a lil illegal when I untwisted that throttle! as in "XXX" ... you count the digits! :o)

Bad or not... I had a big Ol' grin on my ugly mug... I love this Motorcycle!

The point is... I'm riding this sweetheart of a Raider Motorcycle... and her performance is suh-wheet! I'm not gonna complain 'bout anything... unless it's having to actually turn in to the parking lot when I get to that dang day job... rather than... just rollin' me away!

I read on Motorcycle Philosophy the other day an opinion 'bout Motorcycles and Religion... I'd have to agree with him... on most of it... though I can say I am a 'believer' that the Boss exists... I also have to say that, that right there, is a real, personal choice...

And, I've never thought of a Motorcycle as a Shinto Shrine... kind of a sweet concept! gonna have to give that a lil' cogitatin' the next time we're splittin' the wind.

The thing is... it's awful nice to be able to "Ride to Church"... and do it for as little gas as that asphalt munchin', sweet machine drinks!

So...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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My New Raider is Riding Even Better than I Expected!

I took Heidi for her Virgin ride on the Raider yesterday morning. We rolled up Highway 85 from Nunn to Cheyenne for breakfast/lunch at the Egg & I downtown.

Unlike the day before, it was overcast and cool...

Starting out kinda cool, it got a lil' cooler the more North we got... and goin' into a 20 mph or better headwind helped keep us from gettin' overheated too!

Wind? What wind? That Star Raider didn't notice a thing!. Riding two up @ 70 Mph into a 20mph+- headwind She pumped out 37.15 mpg. So I have no complaints! :o) Last week, rolling solo to the "day job"... averaging 'bout 65 mph on Highway 85... goin' south instead, she pumped out 45+ mpg...

Now... that's also with a couple... triple digit MPH "events" that came out of nowhere! :o) I just couldn't help it! That Yamaha Raider is an AWESOME Motorcycle!

I've read several places where fellas complain about mileage in the low 30's... ??? I don't know what they're doin'... I'm running at 5,000 feet altitude... and higher up to Cheyenne... and with that motor under me I've found it impossible to not twist the throttle a good bit ... every lil' bit! :o) So I've not been making any special effort to ride for 'economy'...  On top of that, it's still winter, so kinda cool... The bike currently has 4600 miles on her... Maybe I've got a good one? ... or maybe they're cipherin' wrong... But I'll not complain about the fuel economy, especially considering the performance she pumps out on request!

Yesterday, riding in the wind, the bike was stable and solid. With the torque available the wind was only something for the riders to deal with... the bike couldn't care less.

I've read where some guys don't believe the Star Raider is a machine fit for Motorcycle Touring... I guess you go with what you need... but... so far, what I need is sittin' right there in that Big Red Yamaha! What Heidi and I did find out for sure (and I already knew and expected) is that we'll have to upgrade the passenger seating with a better touring seat and a back rest...

Along with some proper bags...

I've only got to decide... Corbin Dual Tour? ... or Yamaha Back rest and a Butty Buddy Seat?... Hmmm...

I'm leaning toward the Yamaha/Star back rest and the Butty Buddy Seat... would make converting back to a solo touring machine pretty sweet and easy!

... and for the saddle bags... I'm mostly decided I want to spring for another Corbin piece... Their Corbin Fleetliner bags... I've not seen anything better designed to create a Suh-Wheet! Bike! :o)

One other thing I have found... at my 5'7"... the bars are a mite far forward... I think I'll likely change out the handlebars for something with just a lil' more pullback... just an inch or two would make a big difference.

... Now... all I've got to do is wait for Spring to really open up Freedom Road... or... get my Two Wheelin' butt... SOUTH!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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It's Done... a Red 2008 Star Raider is What I'll be Motorcycle Touring on, into the Future!

I just couldn't 'Do' the Stratoliner right now! :o) I've been wantin' this Star Raider for so long... I just couldn't pull back and go the other way just yet.

My Bad! :o)

Picked this ride up (my 'New' Best Touring Motorcycle!)  down in Brighton yesterday evening and brought her home in the dark...

and she's still settin' on the back of the truck due to a lil'... a bit unexpected issue... A Dodge flatbed is a mite too tall for the low clearance of a Star Cruiser.

The Bike high centers at the break over point... I'm gonna have to find a dock or some such to git her down off the truck!

... and then, set to conjurin' up a 'new' ramp to deal with the 'high center' issue... ( I need to haul her when we load the 5er and go to yondering) ... otherwise... It'll be her tires carryin' me Splittin' the Wind on Freedom Road! Hoo! Ya!

But all that is just 'stuff' to deal with...

'cause sittin' out there in the sun is the Finest Motorcycle this Ol' Cowboy has ever owned... and HE is one gigglin' happy son-of-a-biscuit! :)

Much to do with her... many plans... a new Corbin seat... and hopefully, Corbin Fleetliner bags... a few other touches...

Bottom line? It's Shinin' Times! For sure and for certain!

Not long ago Heidi and I were sinkin' fast... Times for us were as tough as they are for anybody  around... and all you hear these days are how "Hard Times are"...

I've decided that "hard times" often turn out to be a choice. "Times"... are what YOU make 'em... if you quit tryin'... you Decide to make 'em tougher. If on the other hand... you grab on and just LIVE... You make 'em Shining Times... no matter what the rest of the people are doin'.

I sometimes feel a lil' guilty how spine quivering happy I'm gettin' this year, considering what's goin' on around the country, and around the world... but you know what?... I can't waste any time worryin' 'bout that... The Boss gave us the power to put our own lives back together...

He helped me find a good replacement truck... and yesterday... I got nudged in the right direction to find a Righteous Star Motorcycle! Hoo! Ya!

... So... I just can't waste any time worryin' 'bout whether some folks are gonna get all butt hurt 'cause I have found the way to LIVE a joyous life in Shining Times!

Though... I'm hopin' it don't get any better... don't know that I can handle any Brighter Times! :o) 

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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What Kind of Motorcycle?

I've been planning, for quite a while, to upgrade my ride to a Star Raider... but... I think that may be seeing a pretty good change...

After 30 years, the Boss Lady suddenly found a desire to ride with me, late last summer... and I'm finding it pretty sweet!...

Now... let's face it... if she and I were 19... I might get away with her all folded up on the tail of a Raider...

But... 19 we ain't... might be that we're refusing to "act our age" :o) ... but our Ol' carcasses ain't gonna see it that way... So... I'm tipping on the edge of compromising and have started lookin' at Star Stratoliners... and Roadliners.

I'd like, sometime in the near future... to still put a Hot, performance cruiser in my Outfit... but just now?... I'm thinking that the best choice for me/us... all things considered, is gonna be a Road Bike... built for two up...

... and it's not like a Stratoliner or Roadliner is some sort of a pup... they are 113 cubic inches of Sweet Touring Motorcycle!

We were joking yesterday that maybe what we need is Three Suh-Wheet! Touring Motorcycles! Hers... Mine... and OURS! :o) Now That there is something that can sure tickle my fancy...

Can you think of anything sweeter than pullin' the door of your Motorcycle Shed open and having three, Sweet, Cruiser Motorcycles sitting there, beggin' for a ride?

Don't know 'bout you... but the last few weeks have become unadulterated Shining Times for this Ol' Motorcycle Ridin' Cowboy! :o)

If they ain't... I'm hopin' they turn that way for you... soon!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

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*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
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No... YOUR Motorcycle Needs a Windshield and a Fairing!

I've got a good friend... who rides a Touring bike... Windshield, fairing, radio... the works.

That Motorcycle works, and works well, for him and his lady...

We can't ride together often enough 'cause we live some 400 miles or so apart... But, when we do and make a stop along the way, as we're walkin' up to the door of some cafe, with me brushin' bugs and such off my jacket he'll say; "If you'd get a windshield you wouldn't have to do that!" :o)

My Reply? ... "Well... it only bothers YOU!" :o)

and that boys N' girls is the answer to a whole lot of questions... Ride what YOU need... NOT... what somebody ELSE tells you ... YOU NEED.

Some folks have got to have that crouched over, screamin' crotch rocket of a sport bike... others the windshield, radio, gps and bags and trunk of a dressed out Touring Bike...

Then... there's the one time workin' cowboys... who only dream of Naked Cruisers...

Uh... the bikes you perverts! :o)

I may not want the type of Motorcycle they ride... it may not toot my whistle... my vision of that Ribbon of Highway may be considerably different but I understand; "Hearing Your Own Drummer", for sure and for certain.

... and I truly understand when they tell me; "I'd never do it that-a-way"...

'Cause I tell 'em; "Great Minds think alike! That's Exactly what I thought... the first time I saw you!" :o)

That FREEDOM... to be who I am... is one of the Greatest Parts of Splittin' the Wind on a Motorcycle that captures my imagination...

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share... Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your... Great Motorcycle Roads

You just have to see this Motorcycle Video!

Watch this sucker... makes me giggle ever' time I see it... the thing is hilarious!



Closing our House tomorrow morning (selling)... and then that Monkey is off our back... after only three years of tryin'! Hoo! Ya!...

... as soon as that is done... it finally frees us up to pursue things I've been wanting for some lil' while... Like Yamaha Star Raider Motorcycles! Suh-Wheet!

... Hmmm ... think I'll be havin' a change of opinion for "my Best Touring Motorcycle" ? :o)

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share... Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your... Great Motorcycle Roads